The Arrangement
by FieryLily
Summary: She was to be married to a boy who had once had been named the heartthrob of the school. But, that was a few years ago and he no longer attended Hogwarts. She was to marry Cedric Diggory. They barely spoken to one another. He was supposedly engaged to Cho Chang. The boy who nearly died. Co-winner of the Twi-Wizard Tournament and the exact opposite of her. This would never work!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hello my lovely readers! I really hope that you like this story! It is co-authored by Uncertain Anonymous and myself. Uncertain Anonymous is also my Beta Reader for one of my other stories and she is absolutely amazing, I am so lucky to have her look over my work and, because of her awesomeness this story will be even better than what I could have written myself.

Anywho, for me personally, this is my first attempt at one of my other favorite pairings: Cedric D./Hermione G. and I never seen a marriage law fic for this pair so I decided write one myself.

I do ask that you please be nice in your reviews and please do not flame but constructive criticism is welcome.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Uncertain Anonymous and I DO NOT own anything related to Harry Potter including but not limited to characters, plots, quotes, etc. It ALL belongs to the creative mind of J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter One**

The warm sun and rolling waves would have been a welcome sight for anyone, anyone but Hermione Granger that is. The beach did nothing to lighten Hermione's mood. The article in the Berkshire Review she had read that morning had ruined what was other wise starting out to be a good day.

A muggle family had been found dead in their home by a concerned neighbor. The cause of death? Unknown.

Worry was a constant these days as the headlines in the muggle newspaper accounted for another unexplained death. Blowing a distressed breath through her lips Hermione looked back at her parents who were oblivious to the real cause of the recent events that had been occurring.

There were so many things that she neglected to tell them.

A part of her felt guilty for shutting her parents out on the most formative years of her life; she told them of her Hogwarts years of course, she just left out a few things.

But, another part felt it was right to not tell them anything, if they knew the horrors that plagued her and her friends lives then not only could they potentially be in danger for knowing what she knew but they'd not allow her to return to the wizarding world.

Hermione wished that she didn't have to leave them. In a few days she would be going to the Weasleys for the remainder of summer before going back to Hogwarts for her final year.

Dread filled the brunette witch at the thought of leaving her mum and dad behind. There would be no one there to protect them. Her close relationship with Harry and the fact that they were muggles would make her parents an eventual target for Voldemort.

She had to think of a plan and fast. The lives of her parents depended on it. A loud rumble rocketed through the sky.

Hermione looked up at the dark grey sky. There was a storm brewing and no one was prepared for it.

o~O~o

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_Due to recent dark events, the Ministry feels the Wizarding community must unite against those that seek to destroy the peace and safety of our world. In particular, muggle-borns must be protected. Thus, the Ministry has passed a new law which we believe will not only keep the wizarding community safe but also create bonds between those who may already oppose one another. _

_This law is called The Arrangement Law._

_The Arrangement Law states that every witch or wizard __aged 17 to 45, as of the end of this year, must marry within six months of this notification__. __Every muggleborn will be paired with either a pure blood or half blood of the Ministry's choosing. The Ministry of Magic desires every pair to be selected on an individual basis, so the age group assigned for this law is simply to great to be able to do so in a reasonable amount of tim__e. __  
_

_The full stipulations of the law can be found in the parchment attached to this letter. _

_Failure to comply with said law will be handled accordingly depending on each individual case._

_With Warm Regards,_

_Pricilla Watchfield_

_Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

_P.S. The Ministry wishes you the best of luck upon the entrance of your seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

_Betrothed Candidate: Cedric Diggory_

A breath that Hermione didn't know she was holding escaped between her lips, the letter that was clutched tightly in her hands fell onto her bed in a crumbled ball.

_Cedric Diggory. Married. _

Hermione paced the room eyeing the crumbled parchment in disdain. The attachment to the letter lay untouched- she hadn't bothered to read it.

_How can they do this? I am only 17 and we barely know each other. Harry hadn't talked to the former Hufflepuff since he graduated. _

_I wonder was Cedric thinks of this? Rumor has it that he was engaged to Cho Chang. _

_I won't marry him. I'd rather have my wand snapped..._

BANG! Hermione jumped whipping out her wand only to lower it when she realized that it was her co-head Terry Boot.

"Do magical parents not teach MANNERS? KNOCK next time Terry or I will hex you into the next century!" Hermione screeched angrily though she lowered her wand.

Terry stood there a moment gaping like a fish while Hermione continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes waiting for him to say something.

When he didn't say anything Hermione rolled her eyes exasperated.

"Well, what do you want?" The question awoke Terry up from his stupor because he blushed and mumbled a quick apology.

"I just wanted to see you got this too?" Terry asked holding up a letter almost identical to hers.

Hermione plopped down onto her bed all her anger towards Terry vanished.

_This can not be happening._


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

A breath of air rushed from his lips as Cedric dropped into the large armchair in his family's sitting room, the letter held loosely in his hand slipping quietly to the floor.

The Arrangement Law.

A law forcing strangers to marry.

A law forcing pure-bloods and half-bloods to marry the children of muggles.

Not that Cedric had anything against muggles. They were just a somewhat-mysterious group of folks he knew next to nothing about aside from their lack of magic. And he didn't hold muggle heritage against any witch or wizard, though it was always entertaining to see a kid see their first huge display of magic in the Great Hall or in Diagon Alley.

No, Cedric had nothing against muggle-borns. But, he knew that other pure-blooded wizard families did. So, he wasn't sure how the law ever managed to get passed. Surely, they must be putting up quite the fit right now, and those families were the ones to practically dictate what the Ministry said and did. If they weren't, was it possible that this law was one of their plans? What could they possibly want out of marrying their children off to those they deemed inferior?

Cedric sighed again, then covered his forehead with his arm.

It just went to show how dedicated to his Auror training Cedric was: the first thing he thinks about in this situation was possible motives on the enemy's side. He conveniently brushed to the side the fact that this law would directly impact him.

_Hermione Granger._

Cedric _really _didn't know her. To be fair, he didn't know everyone in the world, but as past Head Boy and one of four Triwizard Tournament Champions, Cedric liked to think he did. And to be honest, he'd first thought the name matched to someone from maybe Beauxbatons because the name was so unfamiliar. It was only when he realized "Granger" was not a French name and the law only applied to people under Ministry jurisdiction (so, not France at all) that he realized this Hermione girl must be from Hogwarts. He gave it a moment of thought.

Oh.

_That _Hermione Granger. Potter's friend – the one that lived in the library, if you believed the rumors. Granger was the girl that brought the drama in the Prophet that apparently entertained his mother while she tried to ignore the fact that her son was in danger. Although, Cedric wasn't really paying that much attention to the post at the time (hello, Triwizard Tournament? Only an idiot Champion would choose that year to focus on much else aside from school and training for the next task), and the Prophet stopped talking about whatever it was when the school year ended.

Cedric Diggory did not know Hermione Granger. He did not know her likes and dislikes. He did not know her life's ambitions. He didn't know how she met Harry, or her first bit of accidental magic, or her biggest fears, or her passions. He didn't know if she wanted to travel or settle down. He didn't know if she was madly in love with someone, if this law was breaking her heart. Cedric Diggory did not know Hermione Granger.

Hell, he barely knew Potter, and that was only because of the few times they met during the Tournament.

Hermione Granger was a stranger to him.

Hermione Granger was going to be his wife.

Cedric didn't know how to react to this.


End file.
